NTDC, Bwari Area Council partner on tourism village

Chairman, Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Honourable Musa Dikko, was recently at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) with his team. The visit to the Director General of the Corporation, Sally Mbanefo, was to further discuss modalities for actualizing the proposed tourism village in the area.

For Mbanefo, the proposed tourism village holds a lot for the people in the area in terms of economic empowerment through job creation. The NTDC boss noted that tourism remains a value chain that touches every sector, considering that it has great potentials to create wealth, reduce criminality and encourage unity in any nation where it is embraced and developed.

To improve the nation’s economy, Mrs. Mbanefo expressed the need to continue to focus on the country’s production capacity by investing in sectors of the economy that are labour intensive such as tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.

In his reaction, Honourable Dikko commended the domestic tourism development and promotion drive of NTDC.

He further described his Area Council as the tourism hub of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to him, it was the only Council in the FCT that has played host to global personalities because of the location of Ushafa Pottery Village in the area as well as the popular Lower Usman Dam.

The Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer of International Tourist Choice Limited, facilitator of the Bwari International Tourist Village project, Mr Trust Henry Ogboi, believed strongly that the project, when completed will embolden Nigeria’s name on the world tourism map.

Speaking to The Guardian after the visit, Mbanefo stated that in the face of recession, there was need for all to embrace fiscal discipline, tight monetary controls, fiscal sustainability plan as well as improved internally generated revenue drive.

She also harped on the virtue of hardwork, discipline and diligence, which she said, would always stand one in good stead.

“Exchange rate is neither a deterrent to success and growth, nor a hindrance to creativity, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship.

“It is therefore incumbent on all of us to help make Nigeria great by deploying our globally recognised creativity, intellectual prowess and entrepreneurship to solve our existential problems,” she said.